


Bad Throw, Good Catch

by Cassidae



Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Rated for swearing, Spoilers, Texting, a loose understanding of the american justice system, be gay do crimes, ben wingmans sammy, can i even call this a meet-cute?, except the crime is just a ridiculous misunderstanding, obvi, troy is a reluctant accomplice, very gay tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 07:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15747477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassidae/pseuds/Cassidae
Summary: “Long story short - I was trespassing, Troy made me eat dirt, Ben chat me up, and now I’m wondering what the hell I’m doing here as much as you are.”[ AU where Jack gets arrested for something stupid and that’s how he meets the squad. Sammy loves his friends, but this has to be one of their weirdest ideas. ]





	Bad Throw, Good Catch

“... So. Do you, um. Does your shift end soon, sir?” Jack asks, because this is already unbearably awkward and he has nothing left to lose.

“Just about. By the time I’ve finished your paperwork I’ll be ready to be on my way, I reckon,” the deputy replies politely. Kriegshauser, according to his name tag, has in fact been nothing but extremely polite about the whole thing. Especially, well, considering…

“I really  _ am _ sorry about making you chase me down,” Jack says honestly. “I just got spooked. And it’s not like I  _ want _ something on my record because I did something stupid… again.”

“Again?” Kriegshauser repeats, still mild as can be, but Jack flushes all the same.

“I  _ may _ have a bad habit of doing stupid stuff on dares,” He admits, and wonders if he imagined the twitch of a smile in the rearview mirror. “But it wasn’t even like that this time! And I never mean any harm, I swear.”

The car is quiet for a moment, only the muffled sounds of traffic permeating the silence. Then Kriegshauser speaks up again. “I believe you, Mr. Wright. I like to think of myself as a pretty good judge of character, and I ain’t getting any sort of bad vibes from you. You’ve been very forthright and easy once you finally stopped runnin’.”

“Hey, I know you tackled me and all, but no hard feelings,” Jack says, holding his hands up palm-out in a peaceful gesture, the chain between them jingling as he moves. At least they’re in front of him this time, so he won’t get an arm cramp. “You’re just doing your job, and I don’t need to make this any harder on either of us, right?”

“That’s very fair of you,” He replies, sounding warmer by the moment. He seems like a very warm person in general - definitely the nicest cop Jack’s ever had the pleasure of interacting with.

“If I may add, that was a  _ very _ decent tackle you did,” Jack continues, smiling widely. “And that’s coming from someone who gets tackled for most of the week! Um, at rugby practice, to be clear,” He rushes to add. “Like I said, I don’t like to make a habit of this.”

“Yet you have a stash of bail money that your sister knows about?” Kriegshauser asks, definitely smiling now. 

Jack doesn’t stop grinning, but he does reach up to run a hand through his hair. The nervous tic turns awkward when he also has to lift his other arm to do it since his hands are linked, but he thinks he makes it work. “At some point it seemed like a reasonable thing to do, I guess? I’m well aware that I suffer from chronic stupidity. The least I can do is be responsible about it,” He says, then stops to think about what he just said. “I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but I swear it makes sense.”

Kriegshauser actually  _ laughs, _ and Jack counts it as a win. “You sorta remind me of my little buddy, to be honest,” He says, voice dripping with fondness.

Before Jack can ask, Kriegshauser’s phone starts ringing. Not the one hooked up to the cruiser, but what looks like his personal cell phone. Without taking his eyes off the road, he reaches for the car console and presses a button on some device that Jack quickly realizes is a bluetooth setup so he can talk handsfree.

“Hey there, this is Troy,” the deputy says, then positively lights up at the voice from the other end.

“Troy! It’s me, Ben,” The caller says, voice energetic.

_ “Speak of the devil,” _ Kriegshauser mutters under his breath, but his smile is wide and soft. “Hey, Ben! You know I’m still at work, but I shouldn’t be late this time, I swear on it.”

“You better not!” Ben says, but Jack can’t hear any actual annoyance. “We’ve been planning this Boys Night for, like, a week! It’s a miracle Sammy even agreed to get out of the apartment, you know how he’s been in a funk lately,” He continues, voice dropping a bit low at the end.

“Yeah, of course I do,” Kriegshauser replies gently. “I’ve just gotta get this detainee’s paperwork in order and I’ll be finer than a spring sparrow to fly on out.”

“That’s great!” Ben exclaims. “Perfect. I was just checking. Uh, wait, you’ve got a perp with you right now?” He asks, sounding interested. “It’s not one of the William’s boys, right? It sounds  _ way _ too quiet for that. What’d they do?”

“Trespassing on private property, but it honestly seems like an accident,” He says, and Jack relaxes a little more. Maybe he’ll actually get off easy. “Property owner made a big ol’ fuss about it and I was barely a block away on my patrol so I went ahead on over. But if the trespasser’s story is to be believed, he just chased an overshot frisbee into the wrong yard.”

Ben cracks up laughing and Jack holds in a sigh. This is, by far, the  _ least _ cool of all the times he’s been arrested. “Well, I hope you’re not being too rough on the kid, Troy,” Ben says, and now Jack just wants to throw himself out of the car. Too bad the back of a cruiser is specifically designed to prevent that.

“Ah, no, he’s a full grown adult,” Kriegshauser says, to the sound of more laughter. At least  _ someone’s  _ getting a kick out of it, Jack supposes. Maybe they can tell their friend that’s in a funk and Jack can have inadvertently made someone’s day better by being his  _ “stupid and impulsive”  _ self, as Lily had yelled at him before the door closed.

“No way, seriously? Like, what? Our age? Old like Sammy?  _ Older, _ if that’s even possible?”

“According to his ID, he’s Sammy’s age, actually. Apparently he was tossing the frisbee with his sister - and that, I have no trouble believing. Sibling arguin’ if I ever did see it, like how you and Sammy get sometimes,” He says, and lets out a soft chuckle when Ben groans in response. “I know he’s usually the one doin’ the scolding, but you remember that time you yelled at him in the station for getting himself arrested in the middle of a broadcast? Reminded me of that, just a bit.”

“Yeah, but Sammy fighting a politician was actually  _ cool _ . And it’s not my fault he’s always being such a dad!” Ben grumbles.

That rings a bell somewhere in Jack’s brain, and although he can’t place it that in and of itself says something. Did this Sammy guy actually make the  _ news _ for slamming a politician? Considering the way most of the scumbags run things, Jack almost definitely wants to shake his hand for that.

“It is a  _ little _ your fault _ , _ ” Kriegshauser says, smiling at Ben’s indignant sputtering. Then he continues like he hadn’t heard any of it. “But we were just talkin’, and it seems this isn’t his first minor infraction. Says he does silly things on dares all the time, which I feel like I should be concerned about since it happens often enough to warrant him keepin’ a stash for bail.”

Ben laughs,  _ again.  _ “Oh wow, this guy sounds like he’s fun at parties!” He says brightly. Jack would love to reply that yes, he absolutely is. But it seems like Kriegshauser has forgotten he’s there, and he doesn’t want to interrupt the two friends.

“Hey, Troy,” Ben continues after a pause. His tone is different now, more… curious? Sly, even? “Just hear me out and answer as honestly as you can, okay?”

“Of course, buddy.”

“Would you say that this guy is… cute?”

Jack and Kriegshauser both startle, and their eyes meet in the rearview mirror for a split second before the deputy turns back to the road.

“Uh…” Kriegshauser starts, but Ben quickly interrupts.

“Not for me! Obviously. Emily’s the most badass and perfect girlfriend in the world, and I know you don’t swing that way anyways. Just give me your best answer, okay? Like, aesthetically speaking.”

They pull to a stop at a red light, and Kriegshauser actually turns around to look at Jack, smile sheepish. “It seems my friend wants to know if you’re cute.”

“... I’d like to say yes, sir,” Jack answers, completely lost. Apparently it’s loud enough for the bluetooth to pick up, because Ben immediately breaks down in laughter.

“I forgot you always use speaker in the car!” Ben says once he catches his breath. “Sorry, dude, I didn’t realize you could hear all that.” The car’s now moving again, Kriegshauser facing forward. They must almost be at the station by now.

“It’s fine,” Jack says, leaning forward right up to the grate because apparently he’s engaged in this conversation now. And… well, he still has nothing left to lose, so he just goes for it. “Now, this is probably when I’d drop a pickup line about stealing your heart, but since you just said you have a girlfriend, I’ll refrain. Plus, I kinda want to stay in the deputy’s good graces, since he’s been kind enough to only  _ lightly _ tackle me, so far.” Kriegshauser coughs, but Ben just laughs again. 

“He had to  _ tackle _ you for getting a  _ frisbee?” _ Ben repeats, incredulous.

“I  _ may _ have tried to run because I didn’t want to get arrested for something stupid but, well, such is my life,” Jack says, shrugging though he knows no one is looking. “And in my defense, I’m a pretty fast runner. But I kept tripping over roots. Also, Deputy Kriegshauser is like… what, six foot?”

“Six two,” Kriegshauser corrects with a smile.

“Yeah, so, he’s got height on me, too. Add that to him running out of a bush and blindsiding me like a charging grizzly bear, and my luck was decidedly…  _ not good.” _

They finally pull into the station lot with Ben still laughing. “Alright, bud, we really gotta go now,” Kriegshauser says as he puts them in park.

“Okay! I’ll see you in a bit, Troy,” Ben says, then hangs up. Kriegshauser cuts off the engine and gets up to let Jack out.

Once they’re inside, Jack gets a seat by the deputy’s desk as they get the paperwork started. Jack doesn’t bother with an attorney, just answers the questions as carefully as he can so he at least has  _ some _ deniability. Kriegshauser has actually bagged the frisbee as evidence, so that’s something. All told, it doesn’t take long until he’s being escorted to a holding cell to wait for his bail to be set so Lily can post it. Kriegshauser is incredibly nice the whole time and un-cuffs him once he’s there.

His watch was taken with the rest of his personal effects, so he doesn’t know quite how long he’s been in there when someone steps into the hall. Jack’s the only person in a cell at the moment, so he’s not surprised when the man makes a beeline for his door.

“Hey! You’re Jack Wright?” The man asks. Or did he say “Jack, right?” He has trouble telling sometimes. But, even though he sounds a bit different in person, Jack recognizes his voice.

“That’s me,” Jack replies, smiling and offering his hand through the bars. “I take it you’re Ben, from the phone?”

“That’s me,” Ben echoes, shaking his hand enthusiastically. “Ben Arnold, co best buddy to one Deputy Troy.”

“I’m guessing the other best buddy is this Sammy you keep talking about?” Jack asks, marveling as Ben pulls up a metal folding chair from somewhere and takes a seat in front of the cell. Should a friend of a policeman even be talking to a perp? Follow-up question: does Ben seem like the kind of person that cares?

“Yep,” Ben replies, popping the  _ p _ . His smile turns into a grin that Jack would call proud. “If you’ve lived here for more than a few years, you might recall a Sammy Stevens jumping up on stage to fight Mayoral Candidate Grisham during his own rally?”

Jack’s eyes widen. “Oh my god,  _ that’s _ where I knew the name from! That was awesome, holy shit.”

Ben laughs again - he has a nice laugh, when it’s not interrupted by static. “I know, right? It was dumb as  _ hell. _ But, hey, he was and  _ is _ my best friend, so I’m, like, contractually obligated to love him through anything. Up to and including suplexing dickbags in front of, like, two hundred people.”

“Do your ‘Boys Nights’ always get that rowdy?” Jack asks, trying to imagine Ben, Kriegshauser, and the tall figure he vaguely remembers from the pictures, all in one room. It definitely sounds like quite the party

“Does your ‘Sibling Frisbee Match’ always end with you in the slammer?” Ben fires back, eyebrow raised like he might actually believe Jack if he says yes.

Jack grins and shakes his head. “Point taken, I guess. Lily’s usually not that bad of a shot, but that one just went  _ way wide, _ like she expected me to turn into Mr. Fantastic or something.”

“Dude, I know the pain. Troy and Sammy always forget I’m not six foot  _ giants _ like them,” Ben groans. Then, he gets this weird look of concentration and seems to study Jack’s face.

Jack sits through a few seconds of this in silence, trying not to get weirded out. These past few hours have been weird already, what’s a little more? But, eventually, he has to break it. “Uh, so what’s the verdict?  _ Am  _ I cute? I don’t want to add ‘liar’ to my list of charges,” He jokes.

“No, you’re definitely cute,” Ben says offhandedly, like he already decided this the second he walked through the door. “It’s just… your face, and your… Is your sister Lily Wright, the investigative journalist? Like, the one with her own podcast and everything?”

“That’s her,” Jack replies, shooting a finger gun at Ben for his correct guess.

Ben’s eyes go wide and he sits up, ramrod-straight. “Your sister is  _ the _ Lily Wright?! Dude, I’m  _ such _ a huge fan of her work! Holy shit,  _ Lily goddamn Wright _ got her brother arrested playing frisbee. What dimension is this?”

“I’ll pass on the regards when she gets here with the bail money,” Jack says, although honestly Lily doesn’t need a bigger head - that is, if she cared about Ben’s opinion in the first place. He hopes if they run into each other that she won’t be too hard on Ben.

“Crap, she’s going to be here?!” Ben kinda looks like he’s about to pass out from excitement, and Jack’s starting to understand why he might need someone to “dad” him.

“Yeah,” Jack says, wondering exactly how deep in shit he’ll be when she does get here. Is there any hope that she’ll have calmed down by the time she gets here, for once? “Didn’t even need to waste my one phone call, since she was right there yelling at me about how she was right and I shouldn’t have climbed over that bush while I was led to the car.”

Ben fanboys a little more, but eventually they get on other topics of conversation. Jack mentions he likes dogs, and that gets Ben talking about the man who hoards pomchis in their apartment building. Apparently, they don’t annoy Ben in the slightest, but Sammy’s always grumpy about their yapping - they’re roommates, have been for years. They talk about recent movies, one of which Ben went to see twice - once with Sammy, then again with Emily, his “perfect and badass” girlfriend. Although he didn’t tell either of them about the other at the time, they teased him mercilessly once they found out. Jack talks about the time Lily put a bug in his hair when they were little, and  _ that _ led to an interesting discussion about “wall crabs” and how Sammy’s always the one who catches them to take them outside, despite being grossed out by them, because Ben’s even worse about it. Ben says that Kriegshauser and Sammy are the best cooks out of the four of them, and breakfast parties aren’t uncommon among the group, especially since it’s right after Sammy and Ben’s late night talk show. Their friends are always calling into the station, so they’ve all accidentally become night owls. Apparently Sammy got Emily a fancy coffee maker for her birthday partially as a joke, but she uses it every day anyways.

Ben talks  _ a lot _ about Sammy and Emily. Almost exclusively, even. If it’s not one, it’s the other, and if Jack didn’t already know better he’d have a hard time guessing which one is his significant other. When Jack makes a light joke about this, Ben gives him a weird smile.

“Oh, no, Sammy’s single as can be. Neither of us are straight, sure, but… Yeah,  _ not _ gonna happen,” He says empathetically, still with that funny look, like Jack’s supposed to be catching onto something. But whatever it is, it flies right by him like Lily’s frisbee, and they move on to talk about something else.

********

Eventually, some officer Ben has only seen in passing comes to shoo him away and escort Jack to the front where he can meet his sister  _ (Lily Wright!!) _ and get fully discharged. Jack’s easy, stupidly handsome smile only flickers for a moment at the promise of meeting the wrath of his sister, but you can hardly tell as he strikes up polite chit-chat with the new officer on their way down the hall.

It’s an  _ agonizing _ decision, but after a moment Ben forces himself to turn around and go back through the door to where Troy is instead of going after the Wrights. If all goes well, he’ll have another chance to talk to her.

Ben jumps up to sit on his usual corner of Troy’s desk, and he shuffles stuff around to give Ben more room without even looking up. “I’ll be done in just a minute, Ben.”

“I want to invite Jack to Boys Night,” Ben says, startling Troy enough that he drops his pen.

“I’m sorry, did I hear you right?” Troy asks, brow furrowed in concern. “You mean the Jack Wright I just  _ arrested _ earlier this evening?”

“We don’t know any other Jacks, so, yeah,” Ben replies, trying to emphasize how serious he is about this. At Troy’s lost look, he throws his head back and groans. “C’mon! I know you like the dude, too! And it’s not like he committed a  _ felony _ or something. You’re not even charging him with resisting arrest, even though you  _ totally _ could.”

“Yeah, but… Now, you know I’m usually a ‘more the merrier’ type of person, but this is supposed to be our  _ buddies _ night, and he’s a stranger,” Troy says with that hangdog look that Ben can’t stand seeing.

“Which is why I just spent the last, like, half hour talking to him and making sure he’s not  _ actually _ a total weirdo,” Ben counters. He needs to get Troy’s agreement, quickly, before Jack leaves, so he starts rushing through his points. “He’s a good guy! He even pronounced your family name right on the first try! How many people can you say that about? And he’s nice and funny and I  _ know _ he’s smart because his sister is Lily goddamn Wright and there’s no way he’s the failure of the family. Not to mention, he’s, like,  _ completely _ gorgeous. I have no idea how you had a hard time answering that question, by the way.”

“Now, I know that’s not a slight on Miss Emily,” Troy says slowly, apparently still not seeing what Ben’s getting at.

“Troy. Best buddy. My brother from another mother.” Ben solemnly puts a hand on his uniformed shoulder and looks him in the eye. “I’m trying to set Sammy up with possibly the greatest catch he could ever hope to get.”

“Ben. Are you serious?” Troy asks flatly, not seeing the obvious genius of this idea.

“Completely, one hundred percent serious,” He confirms with a nod. “Sammy’s not getting any younger here. And Jack’s single and he likes guys and he laughed at, like,  _ every one _ of my Sammy Stories, even the ones where he’s pretty stupid. And I  _ know _ my best friend’s type. If Sammy’s not head over heels in ten minutes, I’ll eat my fucking shoe.”

“... If you’re  _ sure _ that’s a good idea,” Troy starts, which Ben replies to with rapid nodding. The deputy sighs deeply. “Fine, alright. Guess it won’t hurt too bad if we’re there to watch him. But I’m holding you to the shoe thing!”

_ “Yes!” _ Ben cheers, bending over to give Troy a kiss on his forehead because he’s almost never high enough to actually be able to do that. Then he takes off, hoping he’s not too late.

He catches the Wrights with one foot out the door. “Yo! Jack!” He calls, causing both siblings to look over. And, wow, they  _ do _ look a lot alike. He stops next to them, panting a little from his mad dash. Lily  _ (Lily fucking Wright) _ looks at him like he’s a bug she’s considering stepping on, weighing the grossness of doing so versus the annoyance of its presence. Jack just smiles beautifically at him. Ben is way too bisexual for this.

With a herculean effort that he prays Sammy will come to appreciate, he turns to Jack and puts on his most winning smile and asks “Are you doing anything tonight?”

********

_ “Sammy!  _ C’mon and move your depressed ass!” Ben yells as soon as he barges in the door. Sammy greets him with a wordless grunt, but otherwise doesn’t move from where he’s sprawled over the full length of the couch. His feet, like always, hang over one armrest.

_ “Sammy,” _ Ben whines, again, walking into their living room and poking Sammy’s socked foot. “Well, you’re out of your sweats at least,” He mumbles, which is the high praise that Sammy gets for managing to shower and put on jeans and a t-shirt. God, he’s not even  _ out the door _ yet and he’s ready to go home.

“But that’s not gonna cut it tonight,” Ben continues. And before Sammy can muster up the energy to ask what the hell he means by that, he’s disappeared down the hall.

He gets a few more blissful minutes of silence before Ben returns and throws a different shirt and pair of pants on his face. “Hurry up and change, Troy’s waiting on us.”

“Why didn’t he just come in?” Sammy grunts after he pulls the clothes off his face. He slowly sits up, examining Ben’s choices. It’s one of his nice flannels and a pair of dark jeans that are significantly less stained than the ones he’s wearing and, as Ben says, “makes you look like you actually have an ass.”

“He’s already at the bar,” Ben says, which if anything makes Sammy more confused - Ben  _ never _ deviates from the plans he makes. He opens his mouth to ask another question, but Ben keeps talking. “Just  _ trust me _ , okay? And hurry it up.”

Sammy sighs long and hard to make sure Ben knows just how weird and annoying he’s being, but complies anyways. No one can tell Ben Arnold no, least of all Sammy. He just changes right there, because he and Ben are comfortable enough that it’s not worth the extra effort to get behind a closed door. After he finishes, Ben forces him to sit down again so he can run a comb and product through his hair.

“I get that you like the hipster messy bun look, dude, but just this once let’s make it look nice,” He says, and Sammy of course lets him because Ben is in a pushy mood and it feels nice anyways. He’s hustled out the door the moment Ben snaps his hair tie into place, and then they’re in the car and on their way.

Instead of interrogating Ben like he means to, Sammy just zones out for most of the ride. It feels like he blinks and Ben’s already parked and has Sammy’s door open, reaching over to unbuckle his seatbelt. “I can do that myself,” He snaps. Ben raises his hands and backs away quickly, giving him space to do so and fold his legs out of the car.

“Why did Troy come ahead of us, again?” He finally asks, following Ben to the door.

“We picked up a fourth,” Ben answers, which only heightens Sammy’s confusion.

“What? Is Ron coming? Archie?  _ Pete?” _ He guesses with increasing trepidation the longer Ben stays silent

“Ew, no.” Ben wrinkles his nose at the mention of Pete, which is at least one possibility off the table. Then his face clears into a grin Sammy can only describe as  _ conniving. _ “You haven’t met him yet, but you’ll like him,” He promises. He ducks under Sammy’s arm as he holds the door open for him, a well-practiced dance between the two of them.

Sammy gives up on Ben and decides to just wait to meet this mystery guy for himself. He walks in right behind Ben, who grabs his hand and immediately starts dragging him in a specific direction, having already spotted Troy. The man’s hard to miss even in a crowd and the place isn’t actually busy at the moment.

Sammy catches sight of Troy when they’re only a few steps away from the little corner table he’s sitting at. Then he sees the guy next to him and suddenly his stomach and heart are conspiring to shove themselves out of place to make him keel over.

“-and we won King and Queen, even though Lily  _ super  _ hardcore campaigned and I did absolutely nothing myself,” He’s saying as they approach, both he and Troy totally engrossed in their conversation. “She acted salty about it, but really I think she was just glad to be standing up there with me and not some other doofus. And it made my prom night actually fun, you know, since I couldn’t bring a date or anything.” The man shrugs and  _ smiles, _ and Sammy trips over his own feet right as they get to the table.

He’s only saved from wiping out because of Ben having a tight grip on him, and because he’s just the right height to lean on. Sammy recovers as quickly as he can, flushing from embarrassment, and meets the gaze of the softly smiling stranger.

“You’re Sammy,” He says, and it’s not a question. But Sammy kind of wishes he’d keep saying his name anyways, and also that he would fall through a convenient hole in the floor right now. The man stands up and offers him his hand to shake - he’s taller than Ben, but shorter than Sammy, just enough to have to tilt his chin a little to meet his eye. “I’m Jack Wright, and I’ve wanted to shake your hand since I saw you suplex Grisham into the floorboards.”

Whatever greeting he was expecting, it wasn’t  _ that, _ and it’s bizarre enough to surprise a laugh out of him. Jack smiles wider and Sammy shakes his hand. “A pleasure,” Sammy says, niceties thankfully taking over his brain for a moment.

“Like I said, pleasure’s mine,” Jack replies, and they lock eyes for a beat before he drops his hand and shoots his beaming smile to Ben instead. Sammy tries not to feel the loss, like a flower turned away from the sun. “Thanks for saving me from Lily’s wrath, by the way. This is a  _ much _ more fun way to spend the evening. And the first round’s on me tonight, since I’m intruding and everything.”

“No, dude,  _ I’m _ the one who invited you!” Ben protests, but Jack shakes his head.

“Nope, not hearing it! Deputy Kr- I mean,  _ Troy _ already told me what you guys like. I’ll go ahead and get those for you,” He says, throwing Troy a quick smile before he slips away to the bar counter.

“I tried to talk him out of it, I swear,” Troy says with a shake of his head, but his smile hasn’t dropped. “C’mon and y’all sit.”

Ben sits next to Troy and Sammy sits next to Ben, leaving the open seat between Troy and… Sammy. Ben’s not looking at him, though to the trained eye he’s almost vibrating with excitement.

“What did you two do?” Sammy asks once he’s sure Jack’s out of earshot.

_ “What? _ Nothing!” Ben denies, voice several pitches higher.

Sammy turns his glare on Troy, who cringes and looks to Ben for help. But, when he finds no support because Ben’s become very interested in the wood grain of their table, he sighs and caves. “I, uh… Met him at work, and Ben spent some time talking to him and thought maybe we could all be friends?” He explains, sounding unsure of himself.

He connects the dots in a few seconds. “You invited a  _ criminal _ out to drinks with us?”

“Not the disapproving dad voice,” Ben whines, then levels a glare at Troy.

They all jump when their drinks thump down on the table. “You’re one to talk, Mr. Suplex Sammy,” Jack says, smiling serenely as he takes his seat. “Didn’t you elbow an officer in the face while they were trying to drag you away?”

“W-Well, I…” Sammy stutters, face heating up again. But Jack just laughs and -  _ oh, _ his laugh is as beautiful as the rest of him.

“I’m just teasing!” Jack reassures, bumping his arm gently against his, and he’s way too close and Sammy can’t take his eyes off him. “I’m not gonna lie, this is up there on the list of ‘weirdest fucking days of my life’, and I can only imagine how it looks from the outside,” He says, then tips his drink toward Troy. “For example, he had to bag a _ frisbee _ as evidence. What would you even do with that, like, dust for prints?”

Before Troy can respond, Sammy’s mouth is already working ahead of him. “What kind of crime can you commit with a  _ frisbee?” _

Ben bursts out laughing, and Jack lets out a long sigh, like they’ve been over this ten times and Jack’s tired of telling the joke. “Long story short - I was trespassing to  _ find _ said frisbee in some poor, unsuspecting, jumpy person’s yard. Troy made me eat dirt, Ben chat me up, and now I’m wondering what the hell I’m doing here as much as you are.”

“You’re here for Boys Night!” Ben declares, raising his glass in the air - just soda, since he’s driving tonight. Troy catches on and clinks his to Ben’s, Jack grinning and following along quickly. At everyone’s expectant looks, Sammy sighs and joins in, and the cheers from his two friends actually make him smile a little.

After they all drink, Jack continues talking. “So, yeah,  _ weird fucking day, _ but I’m starting to feel kinda glad it led me to you,” He says. He must mean the three of them as a whole, but he’s looking right at Sammy when he says  _ “you” _ and Sammy feels electricity shoot all the way down to his toes.

“Occasionally, one of Ben’s schemes doesn’t end in disaster,” Sammy says, not really paying attention to Ben’s indignant sputtering because Jack’s smile is pulling him in like gravity.

“Hey, coming from a fellow schemer; don’t knock it until you’ve seen it through to the end,” Jack replies and  _ winks _ at him, and Sammy knows he’s gone.

********

“I am the best. Wingman. Ever,” Ben announces to the world - or, at least to Troy, who makes up a significant part of his world, so it’s close enough. Ben’s snagged him on his way back from the bathroom, and now they are very sneakily watching from a few tables over. Not that stealth is all that key when they won’t stop making eyes at eachother.

“They  _ do _ seem to be getting along pretty darn well, and Jack seems nicer by the minute,” Troy says, which is an utterly appalling understatement.

“Troy.  _ Dude. _ Jack literally volunteers at an animal shelter and showed Sammy selfies he took with dogs.” How is that man even  _ real? _ Oh, if Ben didn’t love Emily and Sammy so much…  “Sammy doesn’t even  _ like _ dogs and he let him talk about each and every one! Also, I’m sure I saw  _ actual  _ hearts in Sammy’s eyes when he got to the litter of kittens.”

Troy seems to think about it for a moment, then asks “Do you still have to eat your shoe if it took  _ less _ than ten minutes?”

“Are you talking about the way he almost face-planted after one  _ look _ at the dude?” Ben snorts. “Shit, it’s been so long since he’s liked someone I forgot how much of a useless gay he is.”

“He does seem less… funky, now,” Troy says. It’s the most awkward wording possible, but Ben knows what he means. Sammy had already been on his way up out of his depressive slump, and even now his shoulders are still drooping and his eyes still a little bloodshot, but he’s given Jack more smiles tonight than Ben’s gotten all week. He’s really missed Sammy’s laugh. Ben would do anything to keep that around longer.

“Come on, let’s make sure they seal the deal,” Ben says, dragging Troy into the aisle and back to their table.

At some point Jack and Sammy’s seats had scooted closer together, though he has no idea which one of them did it or if it’s been an unconscious drifting on both their parts. Either way, it’s adorable. Sammy looks… really tired, but also really content, like a cat that’s been having its ears scratched just right. They’re talking about some old movie Ben hasn’t seen, but apparently Jack has a lot of opinions on. Sammy seems happy to just listen to him talk, which Ben can and probably will make endless jokes about since talking is literally his  _ job. _ He doesn’t notice their approach right away, but Jack does.

“Hey! Long line at the bathroom?” He asks, and it’s not an unreasonable question since it’s gotten decidedly more crowded as the night wore on. Ben jumps on the excuse, of course.

“Yeah, but we survived,” Ben says easily, hopping onto his stool. He subtly elbows Sammy under the table and when they make eye contact Ben wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. Sammy glares and elbows him back, but it’s laughably weak.

“I gotta head on home to the Missus soon, y’all,” Troy says apologetically, but the rest of them quickly reassure him that it’s perfectly fine.

“Yeah, guess I’ve gotta face Lily at some point,” Jack says after a glance at his watch, not looking thrilled about the prospect at all. Sammy looks decidedly crestfallen, but Ben’s going to fix that.

“This was  _ super _ fun, though!” Ben chimes, and Jack perks up immediately and nods in agreement.

“Yeah, definitely! You guys made me feel really welcome,” He says kindly.

“And you’re more than welcome to join us again sometime!” Ben says - and now, for the kicker. “How about you trade numbers with one of us and we can let you know next time we’re doing it?”

“I think that’d be really fun,” Jack agrees. His gaze sweeps over all three of them but, obviously, lands on Sammy. He offers his phone to him and Ben thinks Sammy might fall off his stool. “Do you mind?” He asks, suddenly all sweet and shy. He runs a hand through his hair and smiles crookedly, and Ben’s watching closely enough to actually see Sammy  _ gulp. _

“Yes,” Sammy answers quickly, but then backtracks. “I mean - no, I don’t! Mind, that is. Uh, just-”

Jack takes pity on him and gently puts the phone in his hands, which Sammy thankfully doesn’t drop like a loser and completely ruin the moment. Sammy avoids eye contact as he types.

“Any chance I’m getting that frisbee back, Troy?” Jack asks while Sammy does that.

“Most likely,” Troy chuckles. “You can come by and claim it once things are cleared up, a few days at most. I can’t imagine the property owner pressin’ charges once he gets the whole story.”

“Nice, thanks!” Jack says. He looks over when Sammy taps his arm gently.

“I put Ben and Troy’s in, too,” He says as he hands the phone back. Ben kind of wants to shove him off his stool anyway for being practical instead of flirty.

“That’s cool,” Jack replies easily, apparently not disappointed. He taps on his screen for a moment and all their phones go off in quick succession. 

Ben gets a simple  _ ‘hey this is jack wright’, _ but on a hunch he takes a quick peek at Sammy’s screen.  _ His _ text says  _ ‘here’s my number, please use it all you want’. _ Sammy reads it and quickly tucks his phone away, blushing brightly. Jack shoots him a smile, which Sammy returns quietly. The exchange looks small, but Ben knows how big this is for Sammy.

Ben won’t ruin his game now but he is  _ totally _ teasing the shit out of him later.

********

Sammy walks up the stairs to their apartment in a daze. After Ben unlocks the door, he flops right back onto the couch in the same position he was in just a few hours ago. But the things he’s feeling now are  _ completely _ different. His stomach hasn’t stopped fluttering with butterflies all night.

Ben’s giving him a shit-eating look that screams  _ “I told you so” _ as he maneuvers Sammy’s legs out of the way enough for him to sit down. Sammy immediately puts his legs back across his lap, but Ben doesn’t mind and just rests his arms on his shins.

“Told you you’d like him,” Ben says. Sammy doesn’t even have the heart to kick him for it because he’s  _ right. _

“I cannot  _ believe _ you,” Sammy groans, covering his face with his hands. “I-I just… _ I can’t.” _

“You’ve known me long enough that you really, really  _ should,” _ Ben counters, still grinning like an idiot. “C’mon! That was a stroke of genius, man! Do I know your type, or  _ do I know your type?” _

“Jack Wright is  _ everyone’s _ type,” Sammy argues, lowering his hands to rest them on his chest. He stares up at the ceiling so he won’t have to look at Ben’s smug little face.

“I mean, if you don’t mind your hunk of dreamboat being a reckless idiot on the side, then yeah.”

“I’m best friends with you, so I think I can handle ‘reckless idiot’.”

“Big talk,  _ Mr. Suplex.” _

“God, it’s been  _ years, _ I can’t believe he brought that up again.”   
  
“Are you kidding? It was a huge selling point for you! If he can fall in love with  _ that _ then I really doubt you can mess this up,” Ben says, and Sammy’s face feels like it’s on fire.  _ Love? _ Does he really have to be so dramatic? “Which you should really try not to, by the way, because Jack is officially part of Boys Night from now on. I’m calling him for my laser tag team!” He adds, and Sammy  _ does _ kick him for that.

“What have I told you about making assumptions-” Sammy starts to say, but is cut off by his phone buzzing. He ignores Ben’s stupid wiggling eyebrows and digs it out of his back pocket to read the message. “It’s probably just Troy telling us he got home,” Sammy reasons.   
  
“Nope! He’s already texted me about that,” Ben says, still grinning.

Sure enough, it’s not Troy. It’s Jack. He can hear Ben sniggering at whatever look is on his face, but he’s too focused on the text to care - or  _ texts, _ as it were.

> _i made it out alive by offering my sister takeout from vietnamese place around the corner - works every time!_
> 
> _what’s your favorite kind of food? i’d love to take you out sometime soon_

Apparently he spends too long staring at his phone, because Ben gets impatient and swipes it out of his hands. He doesn’t even bother trying to get it back, just watches Ben laugh after he reads it.

“Wow, not even a ‘wait 24 hours to text’ kind of guy! I dig the confidence,” He says approvingly. “Means he’s gonna treat my best friend right.” Then he starts  _ texting back. _

“Ben, what’re you-” Sammy half-sits up in a panic.

“And  _ send! _ Here, I told him for you,” Ben says, tossing the phone back. It almost smacks Sammy in the forehead before he can catch it.

“Gee, thanks,” Sammy deadpans. He checks just to make sure, but of course Ben knows him better than Sammy knows himself.

“I am the  _ best _ wingman ever, and don’t you forget it,” Ben declares.

Sammy’s about to retort when he notices that _ Jack is typing, _ and that freezes him in place for several seconds. And then a few more, because apparently Jack is a multi-texter.

> _oh i know that place! it’s nice_
> 
> _so when are you free mr nightowl?_
> 
> _also if the late night talk show thing is an elaborate excuse because you’re a vampire, go ahead and tell me now_
> 
> _it’s not a dealbreaker i just feel like i should know_
> 
> _and if i tune in tomorrow night and don’t hear your voice i’ll be very disappointed_

Sammy makes a noise in the back of his throat that he wasn’t even aware he could make, then just kind of grins and laughs helplessly. Ben pokes his foot until he looks over and sees his raised eyebrow.

“He’s a cryptid nerd just like you,” He says by way of explanation, and then Ben’s laughing with him.

“Oh my god, really?! I’ll have to ask him about-”

“Do  _ not _ ask him his opinion on Mothman!”   


“Well, you can’t stop me because  _ I _ have his number, too! And that’s your own damn fault,” Ben says, digging his own phone from his pocket. Before Sammy can come up with an argument, Ben adds “And you better text him back before he thinks you left him on read.”

Sammy jumps and quickly wakes his phone up, trying to compose a reply while Ben’s still laughing at him.

Ben’s phone buzzes with a reply before Sammy’s does, and Ben crows triumphantly.  _ “Yes, _ he’s a believer! Sammy, marry this man before I do something stupid and try to marry him myself.”

“Ben,  _ please.” _

“Oh, chill, Sammy! Don’t worry…  _ I won’t go breaking your heart! I couldn’t if I tried! Oh honey-” _

Sammy stops his singing with a pillow to the face.

**Author's Note:**

> This was based off a textpost I saw forever ago but sadly op deleted :(
> 
> Credit to my biggest cheerleader and favorite shitposter [Night](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OdeToFalling/pseuds/Scarlet-Letter-Mistakes) for the frisbee idea. They didn't know what it was for at the time but they loved the result.
> 
> Find me on tumblr [@podcastsmakemecry](https://podcastsmakemecry.tumblr.com/)


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